Networks of this type have already been perfected and described, in particular in patents U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,255 and EP-0 453 400 A1, in a paper by R. Vuilleumier et al., appearing on the occasion of the Eurodisplay 84 Conference, September 1984, Paris and, more recently, in two papers by V. P. Jaecklin et al., appearing respectively on the occasion of the MEMS-93 held from 7 to 10 Feb. 1993 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., U.S.A. and in the Digest of Technical Papers in TRANSDUCERS, Yokohama, Japan, 7 to 10 Jun. 1993.
The network described in the next to last document mentioned hereinabove comprises a substrate in which are formed the obturators of the network. Each obturator includes a microshutter attached to the substrate by elastic fastenings resisting rotational movement of the microshutter away from a predetermined rest position. The network also includes electrostatic control means for the microshutters in order to control selectively the rotation thereof through a relatively small angle. Furthermore, each microshutter is fitted out with a reflecting surface.
The network, and more specifically the reflecting surfaces of the microshutters can be irradiated by a luminous beam to be modulated, the modulation being carried out by causing the microshutters, the control of which can be matricial, to rotate selectively.
The invention has as purpose to put forward an improved network of miniature light shutters of the nature briefly described hereinabove.